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New CBA season tips off
China's basketball league has
never been more popular after a
number of former NBA players
jump on Marbury's bandwagon
and sign up to play. China Daily
reports.
High-profile former NBA players
will enhance the competitiveness
and expand the influence of the
2010-2011 Chinese Basketball
Association (CBA) season, which
will tip off with a game between
Zhejiang Guangsha and Fujian
SBS on Dec 12, according to the
top official of the governing
body.
"Our league has benefited a lot
from high level foreign players
for years. And we are happy to
see more NBA stars join us this
season," said Liu Xiaonong, vice-
head of the Chinese Basketball
Administrative Center (CBAC), at
a media conference to launch
the new CBA season on
Thursday.
The former NBA roster Liu
mentioned became more
dazzling when Steve Francis, Yao
Ming's former Houston Rockets
teammate, signed a contract with
CBA club Beijing Jinyu on Nov 30.
On the same day, Stephon
Marbury, another NBA all-star
guard, who was unexpectedly
released by last season's
employer Shanxi Zhongyu just
two weeks before its opening
game, inked a one-year deal
with new CBA club Foshan
Longshi.
Playing as teammates at the New
York Knicks four years ago,
Marbury's battle against Francis
on the CBA court is expected to
be the most eye-catching
spectacle of the new season.
According to the schedule, the
two will meet for the first time
on Jan 1, 2011, when Beijing
plays Foshan at home.
The use of foreign players was
once regarded as a detriment to
the development of local
youngsters. However, that
mindset appears to have
changed and more fans and
greater media interest have been
drawn to the league by the
overseas "mercenaries".
According to figures from the
Swiss-based Infront corporation,
the CBA's marketing operator,
last year's TV audience was more
than 400 million. That is
expected to rise even more this
year.
"Bringing more experienced
foreign players, especially former
NBA players, is definitely
beneficial for our league. It is an
effective way to enhance the
CBA's level and profile. It's also a
powerful catalyst to draw fans
back and attract sponsorship
support," said Bai Xilin, the
competition department head of
the CBAC.
Apart from the former Knicks
backcourt duo, another two
former NBAers - Fred Jones and
Ricky Davis - are also well worth
watching.
Jones, who won the NBA slam
dunk contest in 2004 wearing the
Indiana Pacers' jersey, is likely to
play for Guangdong Hongyuan.
Davis, a veteran swingman with
12 years' of NBA experience, will
represent the Jiangsu Dragons.
According to Bai, 32 foreign
athletes including nine former
NBA players and four Asian
players have signed with the 17
clubs. Each team can have at
most two overseas players, while
last season's bottom five clubs
are free to sign one more from
Asia to boost their squads.
Although the same rule from last
season that each team's two
overseas players are allowed to
play a total of six quarters per
game still applies, the monthly
salary cap of $60,000 has been
canceled this coming season.
That means more big names will
be available to appear on CBA
courts.
Apart from the boost from more
NBA stars, a rules' revision,
emulating the NBA's model
should be another highlight of
the new season.
After a trial run during last
season's playoffs, the CBA's
three-point line will be formally
extended to 6.75 meters, 50
centimeters farther than before.
The three-second area will be
expanded and an offensive foul
protection area will be added
under the basket, said Bai.
"The new rules will bring new
changes to each team's tactics
and formations; it's a better way
to follow the world and keep up
our games' suspense," said Liu.
According to figures released at
the launch of the competition,
28 new faces will debut this
season. The average age of the
237 players in the league will be
about 23. The regular season,
which comprises 309 games, will
be played on a round-robin,
home-and-away basis with a
three-games-per-week schedule
from Dec 10, 2010, to March 11,
2011.
While the league appears to be
on an upswing, organizers are
concerned about match fixing.
The gambling scandals that have
rocked the nation's premier
soccer league have also set off
alarm bells in the basketball
community.
"We will pay close attention to
any suspicious conduct. We have
revised the clubs' access
standards, regulations and the
penalty provision. We will even
introduce judicial organs to
investigate (suspicious activities)
and will have no mercy on those
found guilty," Liu said.
"Clean matches are the basis of
the league; we are ready to do
all we can to ensure fair play."
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